Chef de Change

During my many years on the contract market I had many interviews for roles. I recall one such first-stage interview for a role (conducted by telephone) at the end of which the interviewer said the attributes he was looking for in a Change Manager were the similar to that he saw a good Chef having. This clearly intrigued me so after the interview was over I did a quick Google search on “attributes of a chef” and found the following and have changed the wording from Chef to be Change Manager specific:

1. Creativity … a great Change Manager must be very creative and always willing to try something new. Creativity inspires the way change is managed which is very important to the overall change experience.
2. Passion … a great Change Manager has a tremendous passion for what they do. They enjoy the process of understanding the change challenge, preparing key stakeholders and impacted people and creating appropriate change management interventions.
3. Business Sense … a great Change Manager has a keen business sense and runs their projects that produce quality outcomes but also cost-effective and efficient.
4. Attention to Detail … a great Change Manager pays close attention to detail. Change Management is a science and every intervention and approach has a specific purpose that must be carefully thought through.
5. Team Player … a great Change Manager understands that he or she is part of a larger team and that everyone must work harmoniously to ensure that everyone is kept aware. Change Managers must also work well with both operational staff and senior stakeholders.
6. Practice … a great Change Manager knows that what they do requires technique and skill that must be honed after years of practice. A great Change Manger never stops perfecting their technique.
7. Multitask … a great Change Manager is adept at handling many tasks at once. An individual might be responsible for several elements of a change intervention that all need to come together at the same time and they must be able to ensure everything is completed at just the right moment.
8. Commitment to Quality … a great Change Manager is always committed to managing change of the highest quality. They seek out the best approaches and interventions and use the best techniques to deliver the best product possible.
9. Quick Decisions … a great Change Manager is able to think quickly and can make good decisions when problems arise. Because of the timely nature some aspects of change problem solving must be done quickly to keep people satisfied and to ensure that things continue to flow smoothly.
10. Handle Criticism … a great Change Manager can handle criticism from customers. Not everyone will always like what you do but a good Change Manager knows not to take criticism personally.

I did get a second face-to-face interview to which I took my checklist. The client was clearly impressed because I was successful in securing a 6-month contract.

For more information about Ron Leeman go to ... https://www.slideshare.net/thehighwayofchange/about-ron-leeman-chauffeur-on-the-highway-of-change